this purpose I arranged a stove, which I maintained at an uniform temperature, and on it I placed the eggs carefully wrapped in cotton wool.
Next morning Fritz and I went off in the boat first to Whale Island, there to establish our colonists, the Angora rabbits, and then to Shark Island, where we placed the dainty little Antelopes. Having made them happy with their liberty and abundance of food, we returned as quickly as possible to cure the bears' skins, and add the provisions we had brought to the stores lying in our cellar.
As we returned, we caught up Jack, making his way in great glee towards Rockburg. He was carrying, in a basket, an immense eel, which he and Ernest had secured.
Ernest had set, on the previous night, a couple of lines; one had been dragged away, but on the other they found this splendid fellow.
It proved delicious. Half was prepared for dinner, and the other half salted and stowed away.
We now, for a short time, again turned our attention to our duties about the house.
Thinking that the verandah would be greatly improved by some creepers, I sowed round the foot of each bamboo pillar, vanilla, and pepper-seed, as well as that of other creeping plants, which would not only give the house a pleasanter aspect, but also afford us shade during the summer months.
I constructed a couple of hen-coops too, for the hens and their little chicks which we had brought from Woodlands, for I knew that if I left them unprotected, the inquisitive dispositions of Knip and Fangs might induce them to make anatomical experiments which would be detrimental to the welfare of the youngsters.
Ernest's rat-skins were voted a nuisance within doors, and were tied together and hung up outside; so powerful was the odour
